COMMISSION WILL HEAR PANEL DISCUSS EMPLOYMENT BIAS AGAINST
AFRICAN AMERICANS AT NEXT MEETING

WASHINGTON -- In the third of a series of Commission meetings
focusing on specific types of unlawful employment discrimination,
the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hear
presentations by invited experts on discrimination issues affecting
African Americans in the workplace.

The meeting, originally scheduled for November 14, 1995, but
postponed due to the shutdown of the federal government from Nov.
14-19, will now be held on Tuesday, February 27, at 2 p.m. in
the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Conference Room (9th floor), 1801 L
Street, N.W. The public is urged to attend the meeting to hear
the following speakers make presentations on the topic of
employment issues affecting African American workers:

Race-based charges continue to comprise the highest percentage
of charges filed annually with the EEOC -- making up 34% of all
charge receipts in Fiscal Year 1995. African American men and women
accounted for 86% of the more than 30,000 race-based discrimination
charges filed with the EEOC in FY 1995, a trend that has held
steady for the past decade.

In March 1995, Chairman Casellas announced his intent to hold a
series of special Commission meetings examining the specific bases
of discrimination for which the EEOC has statutory responsibility.
Previous meetings focused on national origin discrimination under
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and wage-based
discrimination under the Equal Pay Act. Other types of
discrimination to be addressed at future meetings include gender,
religion, age, and discrimination against persons with
disabilities.

EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which
prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion,
sex, or national origin; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act;
the Equal Pay Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act, which
prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the
private sector and state and local governments; prohibitions
against discrimination affecting individuals with disabilities in
the federal government; and sections of the Civil Rights Act of
1991.

NOTE TO MEDIA: The Commission agenda is subject to revision. You
may call (202) 663-7100 (voice) or (202) 663-4074 (TDD) on February
27 to confirm the above schedule.